You have to be willing to brave the elements to paint en plein air. This is not hard if you lose track of time when you are painting, like I do. I can paint through summer's heat, and even forget about lunchtime, for several hours at a time. Bugs still bother me, but long sleeves, a good hat and a steady breeze are three of my best friends while I work. Ok, so painting en plein air is a solitary sport but it gets me out of the house and around people at the same time. Each piece I paint has behind it a new place, new people, or a new beginning, whether or not that is the subject of the painting. There can be a long drive or hike to find the perfect spot followed by 3 or 4 hours in the weather du jour. Here are my plain air adventures so far this summer. I say "plain air" because if the piece was not painted from life, en plein air, in the strictest sense, then the piece was still painted while I was enjoying the great outdoors. Painting plein air lends an uninhibited quality to the color choice and brushstrokes in my art that I don't always achieve while painting from a photo or in the studio. I enjoy this form of freedom of expression while I paint during the summertime.